With just over two weeks before the 2026 NBA trade deadline, the Golden State Warriors are on the clock in the time they have left to trade Jonathan Kuminga for another player they believe can help turn this current roster into one that can win multiple playoff rounds.
While the possibility of the Warriors trading Kuminga for a piece that can drastically turn around the current iteration of the team, they certainly haven’t done themselves any favors by leaving him on the bench for the past month, and subsequently dropping his trade value, but that shouldn’t rule out a potential deal that can help save their season.
Though the Sacramento Kings, New Orleans Pelicans, and Dallas Mavericks have all shown recent interest in the 23-year-old, Golden State was recently urged to entertain a new trade idea, one in which they add a 3-and-D wing who is having another strong season.
Writing for Bleacher Report, Greg Swartz outlined a three-trade that would send Kuminga to the Phoenix Suns and would see the Warriors add De’Andre Hunter of the Cleveland Cavaliers in a move that would shake up the title race in both the East and West, and for the Bay Area team, hopefully vault them into the playoff race after a non-deal first half of the 2025-26 NBA season.
Warriors Trade Idea To Send Kuminga Out
Kuminga has been linked to a number of teams over the past few months, but while the Suns were initially interested in him over the summer, that seemed to be a fading possibility recently, considering their success with Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks.
Despite that, Swartz offered a new trade idea that would see both Phoenix and Cleveland shake up their rosters, and more importantly, finally see the end to the tumultuous Kuminga-Golden State saga.
Here’s his three-team trade pitch:
Golden State Warriors Receive: De’Andre Hunter
Phoenix Suns Receive: Jonathan Kuminga and Trayce Jackson-Davis
Cleveland Cavaliers Receive: Royce O’Neale, Ryan Dunn, and Nick Richards
The first observation from this idea is the Warriors not having to relinquish any of their picks, while getting a substantial Kuminga upgrade. Hunter, on the Cavaliers, is putting up 14.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 38 games this year.
His shooting numbers are down, but while Cleveland hasn’t matched their preseason expectations, perhaps a change of scenery, and playing alongside Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler would change that.
But overall, he’s proven to be a strong wing player, and while his and Kuminga’s contracts line up nearly perfectly, a deal like this would see all three teams involved shake up their rosters in what each likely hopes would fix some of their biggest weaknesses.
Why Golden State, Phoenix, And Cleveland Make This Trade
For starters, the Warriors make this deal for the obvious reason that they can finally say goodbye to Kuminga after what has been a failed few years of experimentation. Hunter is a solid upgrade from him, and while the shooting numbers are a bit down from in years past, he could very well come in and bring much-needed defensive versatility with experience.
“He’s played some of his best basketball lately, averaging 15.9 points and 4.1 rebounds on 37.1 percent shooting from three over the last two seasons,” Swartz wrote on Hunter. “His laid-back personality and drama-free game would be a refreshing change of pace for a Warriors organization that’s had to pretend the house wasn’t on fire even though Kuminga was constantly running around with a box of matches.”
Additionally, a trade like this wouldn’t see the Warriors giving up a bunch of other assets or rotational players, as would certainly be the case in a deal for Michael Porter Jr. or Trey Murphy. It gives them a refresher from the Kuminga drama and doesn’t include a ton of risk.
For the Cavaliers, this season appears to be a failed experiment. Even with their title hopes to begin the year, that no longer looks to be the case as they are trying to stay afloat in the top six of the East, and a deal like this would add depth to their injured and inconsistent roster.
For the Suns, they’d be adding Kuminga, who they’ve shown interest in the past, while giving him a shot to prove himself on a new team.
Though perhaps not the most realistic Kuminga trade, it is certainly an interesting idea for the Warriors, who have a ticking clock on the time they have left to move their disgruntled wing.
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